Liturgy Alive Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Opening Prayer

Merciful Father of all people,
you open the doors of your kingdom
to invite us all, good and bad alike,
to share the life of Jesus, your Son.
Give us the wisdom and the strength
to respond to your generous call
with the whole of our being.
Help us to go the loyal way,
to you and to one another,
of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Liturgy of the Word

Introduction to the First Reading
Israel had profaned God's name among the nations, making it look weak when he had to send Israel into exile. Now, Ezekiel consoles them when they are in exile. He will again restore his people, giving them a new heart and a new spirit.

Introduction to Gospel Reading All are invited to the kingdom of God, even repeatedly, the good and the bad alike. Salvation is open to all. But they should be willing, they must respond to the call. And once they respond, they should be consistent. They must share in the death struggle of Christ against evil, to live with the life of Christ. The force to live the Christ life is, indeed, given to us in the Eucharistic meal. There the Lord prepares us for the royal marriage feast.

General Intercessions

– That the Lord may gather all peoples in one common praise of his name, we pray:
– That the lives of all Christians may radiate joy and hope and bring a feast of happiness to others, we pray:
– That the communities without priests, isolated and abandoned as they often feel, may receive the word of the Lord as their food, and occasionally, also the Lord's body, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
in these signs of bread and wine,
you invite us now to the table
of your Son, Jesus Christ,
as a token and pledge
of your unending feast meal in heaven.
Give us the strength to respond to your call,
that we may become new in Christ
and live his life day after day,
until you let us share in his glory,
for ever and ever.

Prayer after Communion

Loving Father,
we thank you for giving us your Son
as our food and drink
on the long road to you.
Through this Eucharist,
make us resemble him more and more,
that we may respect and love him
in one another,
that we may be his image to the world,
and that you may recognize his traits in us
when you welcome us
to the everlasting feast of joy.
Grant us this through Christ, our Lord.

Blessing

All are invited to the Lord's feast meal, but not all come. Are some absent because we do not make them feel welcome? Let us do all we can to make people feel at home with us. May God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.